Allstate’s Catastrophe Team Deploys to Support North and South Carolina Communities

NORTHBROOK, Illinois, Sept. 16 -- Allstate, a publicly held personal lines property and casualty insurance company, issued the following news release:

After a disaster strikes, it's important that people in impacted communities know they are not alone. Today, teams of Allstaters began making their way north from Jacksonville, Fla., into the Carolinas, to help ensure customers get back to normal as quickly and seamlessly as possible.

In all, Allstate has 2,800 people engaged in responding to our customers, including hundreds of adjusters staged on the outskirts of Florence's path in Greenville, SC, Atlanta, Ga., and Roanoke, Va. As soon as authorities allow and it's safe to do so, those teams with as many as 10 mobile catastrophe units will also begin moving in to impacted communities.

"Deploying catastrophe response teams allows us to enter damaged areas as soon as local authorities give us the green light, which will enable us to start helping people quickly," said Ken Rosen, Allstate chief claims officer. "Our goal is to support customers and communities, giving them access to resources to start rebuilding immediately after a disaster like this strikes."

When storms like Florence happen, people often have questions about their coverage and where to seek help. Allstate's Good Hands Recovery Guide is a resource for individuals, homeowners and business owners, whether you're a customer or not. Here are four other steps to begin:

Step One: Call your agent or insurance company and review your auto and home insurance policies.

Most comprehensive auto polices provide coverage for vehicles damaged by floods or rising water. Allstate generally covers flood damage on automobiles if you purchased comprehensive coverage, subject to the terms and conditions of your policy. If you purchased a policy that only covers collision losses, you likely will not have coverage for damage from a flood.

Flood damage to homes is not part of most private company homeowners insurance policies, but instead is provided by the federal government through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The NFIP offers maximum limits of up to $250,000 on homes and up to $500,000 on non-residential buildings. Contents coverage may be purchased separately and can have a limit up to $100,000 for homes and up to $500,000 for non-residential buildings.

If you purchased a NFIP policy through an Allstate agency, you can call 1-800-54-STORM (1-800-547-8676). Allstate is a servicing agent for the NFIP that will work to settle the claim. Under certain conditions described by FEMA, advance payments could potentially be issued to NFIP policyholders up to $20,000 to help customers start the rebuilding process.

Step Two: Prepare to file your claim.

Prior to contacting your insurance company, check your records. You may have different insurance companies that provide coverage for different losses such as a separate wind or flood policy. For example, in North Carolina some wind coverage is provided by the North Carolina Joint Underwriting Authority, or FAIR Plan. In South Carolina, for instance, some people may have coverage through the South Carolina Wind and Hail Underwriting Association.

Once you have your information, contact your agent or insurance company to file a claim. For Allstate, you can contact any local Allstate agency, call 1-800-54-STORM (1-800-547-8676), or log in to allstate.com and start your claim online. If you call Allstate and do not have your information we'll help access it for you.

Step Three: When it's safe, document your damage.

If it's safe to do so, start separating damaged from undamaged property. If possible, use your phone to take photos of the damaged property. This includes any discarded items, structural damage and standing flood levels. Documenting the damage to your home and having evidence of your possessions helps the adjuster prepare a repair estimate.

Step Four: Explore federal aid programs.

If you did not purchase a flood policy from the NFIP, there may be government assistance programs available. Please visit https://www.usa.gov/disaster-financial-help for further information.

For more information about catastrophe response, please visit: https://www.allstate.com/catastrophe/catastrophe-team.aspx